Thursday, February 25, 2010

So, this has been a very exciting week for me! Considering I have never written a blog before, I have been getting a lot of pretty great feedback! I have recently gotten this blog added to a few nifty websites, and I think you should go check them all out!

My blog has been approved to be included in Foodie Blogroll, Petitchef, and Foodista!

Foodie Blogroll is a great community of Foodie blogs! And we here at Scott's Food Products are now honored to have a place among all of the other foodies!

Petitchef is a "french based Cooking recipes Portal," and yes, I absolutely did quote that from the comment they left on my Short and Spicy post! Find some great recipes from all over the world on this website!

Foodista is a cooking encyclopedia for everyone! Add to it, learn from it, and so on and so forth.

So go forth in to the world of food blogs! And when you are done, come back and leave me a comment! I would love to hear what you think of our new internet expansion!!!!!

Monday, February 22, 2010

I'm taking over for Cristina today in writing this little entry! You know, we have been very busy here at the company with all of our meetings and taking orders, and I think she just needed a little help. If you didn't notice, she was a little MIA last week... Ok, I realize she was out of town, but her loyal fans need her! Anyway, I offered to lighten her load a little by writing this for her today!

Gosh, this is so exciting! I have never written to the entire internet before! It's such a huge audience! Who knows who could be reading? Chef Gordon Ramsey? Emeril? The President!!! Ok, calm down Lena, deep breaths....

Alrighty, now that I have gotten a hold of myself, let's try this again... I'm Lena, and I am the SpokesLemon for Scott's Food Products Lemon Pepper! I love a good meal, don't you? Well, with my amazing blend of imported spices, black pepper, and real lemon peel, you are in for a treat! I can help you create a wonderful meal in no time at all! I believe Cristina has mentioned this once before, but I know she would want me to mention her love of broccoli with my lemon pepper. It makes broccoli better with some lemon-ee zest! Ooh! If you like breaded chicken, you should try mixing some of my lemon pepper in with some bread crumbs before you coat your chicken. And instead of just using an egg bath, you should check out my buddy here at Scott's, Mr. Sicilian Godfather! His Creamy Sicilian Marinade is the most delicious lemon-ee garlic marinade that just complements my seasoning perfectly!

I think now is a great time to bring up the fact that Lent just began last week! This means that many people aren't eating meat on Friday! Which means a lot of people are turning to fish! Well let me tell you, my lemon pepper is excellent on fish! Just a few weeks ago, we were having a little photo shoot, and I was featured on some delicious salmon! Not to toot my own horn, but everyone that tried it said it was the best salmon they have ever had! I guess my lemon pepper flavors were just right on that piece of fish. I did mention earlier that I love a good meal, didn't I? So instead of being sad that you have to give something up, rejoice in that fact that you get to eat something, dare I say, even more delicious than you may have had otherwise!

Well, you have been such a great audience! I just can't tell you what a great time I have had today! I hope I inspired some great Friday Night Fish Frys for all of you people observing Lent! This was so much fun, maybe Cristina will be busy more often, and then I can come talk to you again!!!

Friday, February 12, 2010

That is the question! Or maybe it is how to marinate? Or what is a marinade...?

I don't know about you, but as the days, weeks, and months continue to go by, it has come to my attention that many people are unsure of how to use a marinade. Seasonings are so simple: rinse the meat, sprinkle on seasoning, then cook. Bam! Meal ready! Marinades are just slightly more involved, but they really aren't that hard to use and in the end you have a fantastic meal! So let's get down to the nitty gritty and clear away all the confusion so you can have a fabulous dinner tonight!

BENEFITS
Why should you use a marinade to begin with? A good marinade should actually penetrate a cut of meat so there will be flavor throughout the entire piece of meat. Beware of marinades that just sit on top! They are not doing their job properly! Our marinades have vinegar in them especially for this purpose. It may not taste that great if you stick your finger in the jar to taste it right off the bat. Just give it a chance, and you will find that once you are at the final product, the vinegar has been cooked off and you will be able to taste the true flavor profile of the marinade!

A little side note about the vinegar: it kills bacteria! That makes it safe to marinate your meat and throw it in the fridge to keep marinating for a couple days, no problem! If you want to get super duper fancy, you can freeze your meat in marinade, and that helps to prevent freezer burn. And then when you take it out to defrost, your meat will automatically marinate as it defrosts!! Woo hoo! It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it! Can you say quick meal? Ok, moving on...

HOW TO
Alrighty, now let's figure out how to actually use this stuff since now we know why we should use it.
1. First things first: rinse off the meat. Always rinse off your meat! Hygiene people, hygiene! It gets all the little microscopic whatnots off your meat, and then you can start with a clean slate :)
2. Next, pat your meat dry. Otherwise you have water on the cut of meat and that will dilute the marinade. Not a huge deal, but we are talking flavor, so let's not dilute the marinade and your meat will taste better in the end. If you want to/need to trim up the meat, now would be a good time to do it.
3. Take a zipper type plastic bag, put the meat in the bag, and use just enough marinade to cover the meat. No need to drown it in marinade, you just want to make sure there is enough to coat the surface of the meat so it can soak in everywhere. Sometimes I get questions about how much to use: half a jar, a whole jar? I honestly don't know, just use enough to cover the meat. It will vary constantly depending on how much food you are making, so follow these guidelines and it will turn out great, I promise.
Ok, now that you have the meat and marinade in the bag...
4. Squeeze out all the air as you zip the bag closed. It is kind of like a makeshift vacuum seal and helps to marinate more effectively.
5. Now we wait. Throw it in the fridge or freezer, depending on how soon you are going to use it. Technically, you could just marinate for a few hours, but really, you should adopt our little mantra: One day is good, Two days is better, Three days is Awesome! And yes, it is ok to leave it marinating in your fridge for three days. Remember the vinegar? Great!

So those are some steps for marinating meat. From there you take the meat after it has had a nice long while to marinate and soak up all the flavored goodness it has been sitting in, and you cook it however you may like.

Did you know we have 7 different marinades to choose from? Even our barbecue sauces, like Jezebel Spicy Sauce, can penetrate a cut of meat! I encourage you to check out our website and try something new! http://shop.scottsfoodproducts.com/main.sc Add some variety to your kitchen, and spice up your dinner tonight!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I was thinking about what I was going to write about earlier today before I got caught up in my whirlwind of projects, and my coworkers and I were talking about uses for our products. Yes, in our spare time, we think about new ways to use Scott's Food Products...

Considering the kind of company we are, generally all of our serving suggestions revolve around some kind of meat. I then realized that we exclude an entire group of people who don't consume meat! How sad that they get left out because they don't enjoy a nice juicy hamburger like the rest of us! As a result, I decided to dedicate today's entry to vegetarians! Just because I enjoy a burger every now and then doesn't mean tofu isn't fantastic too!

First of all, I would just like to say that Strictly Pepper is awesome! Considering the fact that it is pepper, not to mention the best pepper blend ever (in my humble opinion), it isn't necessarily meant for a specific kind of anything. It does, however, belong on every table in the world!!! Pepper is great, but who wants to use pepper dust? So, for those of you who want to add an extra little kick to your chicken, fish, vegetables, or whatever else you may feel like eating (scrambled eggs??? mmmmm....) Strictly Pepper is the way to go!

My best friend and sales merchandiser in San Diego, Micaela, loves Teriyaki Sesame tofu!!! She loves to stir fry her tofu and broccoli with Teriyaki Sesame, and I must say, it is quite delicious! It smells so good, it looks so good, and on top of it all, it is good for you! Yay being healthy!

Izzy, in accounting, recommended Steakhouse Rotisserie and Grill french fries. I think he made an excellent point in recommending that. You know how certain places have their seasoning salt that they use on their steak fries? Well, using our Steakhouse Rotisserie and Grill seasoning gets you that great restaurant kind of fry right at home! Except in the end it will be better, because you are saving money (do you have any idea how many batches of fries you can make with one jar? I don't actually know, but I would guess at least 100 batches if it was used solely for that purpose, and one jar would probably cost the same as one order of fries... points to ponder!) and there will be less salt in our seasoning and way more spices!!! To make it really easy, just buy some fries out of the frozen section in the supermarket and then sprinkle Steakhouse Rotisserie and Grill when you bake them. Voila! Gourmet fries!

Mediterraneran Garlic is a great marinade to use on veggie kabobs! It is a great addition to bring to a BBQ. Everyone has their little meat kabobs, and you can join the party too with your awesome little veggie kabobs! And you know what? Your kabobs will probably be better than everyone else's, considering your are using Scott's Food Products... unless of course your company is also informed of our wonderful line of items, and then there might be a contest to see whose kabobs are best... which could also be a fun addition to the BBQ! :)

Ok, this may have to be continued at a later date, considering I am about to get kicked off my computer. Oh wait! Lemon Pepper on broccoli! Point to ponder, make it your own. Just know it is awesome. :)

Friday, February 5, 2010

So last time I was so excited about telling you all about Valentine's Day meal planning, I seem to have neglected one very important thing.... Super Bowl! My goodness, here I am rambling about lovey dovey and all that jazz... Why didn't someone say something!!!

Super Bowl! You are getting ready to throw the most awesome Super Bowl party ever, and one of the best little ditties to serve at a party like this is hot wings, right? Well, how about Jezebel Spicy Hot Wings? Jezebel Spicy Spice and Spicy Sauce make a great combination for some dynamite hot wings. She's Hot Stuff! I mean, who wouldn't want a little hottie like Jezebel to spice up their party? Since you need to get shopping, I will just get to the point. Get the little chicken drummettes, season them with the Jezebel Spicy Spice and throw them in the oven. About 5 minutes before they are ready, pull them out and brush them with Jezebel Spicy Sauce. When they are all done, they should look something like this:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

It's that lovey dovey time of year again! Valentine's Day is upon us, or at least that is what all of the stores are telling us. While I hope plans are starting to be made, such as making reservations for the biggest restaurant night of the year (hint hint don't wait until the last minute because reservations fill up fast and then you will get angry because they don't have room for you!), I know many of you are procrastinators, such as myself. Well, luckily for you, I have a plan to save you from late planning!!! And yes, I am absolutely talking to you men, because I once heard that Valentine's Day is just another birthday for the girl, and it is so true, am I right ladies? Ok, onwards with Plan B.

Let's just assume you don't make reservations in time. Plan B is now in full effect. What does Plan B entail? I'm so glad you asked! Plan B consists of making a delicious, romantic dinner at home. In times like these, we all need to save a little money anyways, and making your own dinner will save you soooo much money! You can create your own romantic ambiance (candles work wonders!) and your own retaurant style meal in the comfort of your own home! Just follow my lead and everything will go perfect! Ok, Plan B does involve a little bit of planning, but it will be worth it, I promise.

First, go to your local market. I highly recommend someone that is posted on our website under Locations, such as Bristol Farms, El Toro Meats, Hows, Sprouts, the list goes on for days, so I will stop there... This is to ensure you get everything you need. Gotta love one stop shopping. If you run into the problem that your local market doesn't carry Scott's Food Products, then go to our website, tell us who doesn't carry it so we can get them to carry it, and then order some product through our website! See, you thought you had me there with that road block, but no, we can work around anything. Hooray adaptation!

Next, go to the meat counter. This is very important! You can only find our products in the meat department, and this is a very vital part of Plan B! I recommend you get filet mignon for your special meal. It is terribly romantic, and delicious! Next, make sure you buy some Bourdelaise Marinade. Keep an eye out for this awesome little card too while you are in the meat department:

Decide on some side dishes, and get items to go with that too. May I suggest mashed potatoes with Garlic Oil and asparagus? Delicious! Grab a nice bottle of red wine on your way out, because red wine goes best with red meat, and don't forget some fresh flowers! We all know they will make the little lady swoon! Now, it is only February 3rd, so this gives you an entire week to sit on it, procrastinate, and then by the 10th, you really should get to the store. That way you can marinate long enough for an incredible meal, that will end up looking something like, well, the picture on the card above!

Ok, so now that I have figured it out for you, all you have to do is execute! You can do it! It will be awesome! If you need anymore assistance, don't hesitate to talk to the guys behind the meat counter for tips on how to cook your meat. Just like how I am an expert at sauces, seasonings, and marinades, they are experts at everything meat, from cutting it to preparing it! They are very nice, I promise. Alrighty, I will let you to your procrastinating now. I hope I at least gave you some good ideas, or even inspiration! Cheers to a good, romantic meal!